Plan a Grid That Scales
Move between sheet layouts: rows, columns, and when each one wins.
Your result
A sheet laid out as a row or a grid, chosen deliberately, with the arithmetic checked.
01What you will learn
- Multiply cell size by frame count for both axes to size a sheet.
- Choose a single row, a grid, or a long strip for a given frame count.
- Keep the cell size constant, since the engine slices by that number.
Start with: A finished four-cell strip.
02See the technique
Four flat cells
64 × 16 pixels
The same four, finished
64 × 16 pixels
03Follow the steps
- 1
Work out both totals
For four frames of 16 by 16: a row is 64 by 16, and a two-by-two grid is 32 by 32. Both are 1024 pixels total, which is a useful sanity check.
Two valid layouts, same pixel count.
- 2
Prefer a row for short loops
A row of four is the easiest layout to read by eye, and it matches how most engines slice a single strip. Use it for walks, hops and idles.
A row chosen for this loop.
- 3
Prefer a grid for large sets
Eight or sixteen frames get tall as a row. A four-by-four grid of 16 by 16 cells keeps the file closer to a square, which many tools handle better.
A grid chosen for anything past about six frames.
- 4
Never change the cell size
You may rearrange cells freely, but the cell itself must stay 16 by 16 in every position. A single 17-pixel cell makes the whole sheet unslicable.
A fixed 16 by 16 cell across the sheet.
04Practice in Pikanim
Recalculate your sheet for a row and for a two-by-two grid, and confirm both give the same four frames.
Opens a 64 × 16 canvas with the lesson's starting pixels. Your work saves in the Workspace.
05Check your result
Compare your own work with these checkpoints. Check each one when your result is ready.
Progress saves in this browser. No account needed.
06Continue learning
Keep these references handy
8×8 vs 16×16 vs 32×32 Pixel Art
A direct comparison of 8×8, 16×16 and 32×32 pixel art: what fits at each size, side-by-side character examples, and when to use each.
Sprite Sheet Guide
What a sprite sheet is, how rows, columns, frame size and padding work, and how to export a sheet your game engine can slice correctly.